Saxton calls text message donations review

Precision Marketing

7 July 2008

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The viability of text message donations is to be scrutinised by outgoing Institute of Fundraising chair Joe Saxton with a view to reducing the prohibitive fees holding back the channel.

Saxton is set to form a coalition of charities, trade bodies, agencies, stakeholders, media organisations and celebrities who will work together to make text message donations a cost-effective tool for charity fundraising in the future.

The initiative will also involve an in-depth body of research into SMS fundraising as a basis for a campaign to ascertain the attitudes of both mobile phone users and the fundraising community.

Saxton, together with the rest of the coalition, will engage in discussions with mobile providers and regulators towards the end of this year to improve the channel for charities.

Saxton says: “Many charities find the current charges made by phone providers – simply for collecting donations via SMS – prohibitive. HMRC has thankfully been re-examining the broader VAT issue on charity phone bills. We now invite the telecoms industry itself to address its charge structures, specifically in relation to text-donations. The fundraising potential could well be substantial, not least amongst the young. By striking the right balance, mobile phone operators, charities and donors can all benefit.”

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